Hyderabad: Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy castigated former Minister and BRS party senior leader T Harish Rao for spreading lies on irrigation development during BRS rule in Telangana. Uttam alleged that former CM KCR colluded with Andhra Pradesh in the water theft under the name of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme.

After the Congress government came to power, we halted the works of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme. We promise to complete the SLBC project within the next three years. The previous government spent Rs 27,000 crore on the Palamuru-Rangareddy project but did not provide water to a single acre. We will provide the accounts for the Rs 7,000 crore spent on Palamuru-Rangareddy during our government’s tenure,” Uttam said. Uttam alleged that Harish Rao talks about commissions, but Congress leaders do not follow the habits of BRS leaders. He mocked the KCR family, saying their statements make it seem as if they have performed miracles.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday at Secretariat, Minister Uttam alleged that the BRS leaders are shamelessly and outrageously telling lies.

Uttam said, “We have spent Rs 7,000 crore on the Palamuru-Rangareddy project in two years. There were no permissions for the Palamuru-Rangareddy project, however, KCR told lies”.

The minister alleged that the claim of the BRS that the Congress government agreed to 45 TMC is false… Harish is cleverly speaking deceptive words.

“We condemn Harish Rao’s strange and disgusting statements. The KCR government did not intend to build the Palamuru-Rangareddy project. In the water sharing proposals sent to the Central government in 2020, they did not ask for water for Palamuru-Rangareddy, SLBC and Dindi projects. BRS cheated the people of Telangana for 10 years”, he alleged.

Uttam said that despite spending Rs. 1.83 lakh crore on irrigation during BRS rule, the BRS government did not provide water to a single acre. The BRS government distributed water only through the projects built in undivided Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Uttam said that Assembly proceedings will be conducted according to the rules. Questioning the BRS leaders, he asked whether they would admit in a PowerPoint presentation in the Assembly that they awarded contracts to people from Andhra Pradesh.